Originally published at: Tim Henson's interview with GQ shows why he's one of the best guitarists of his era | Boing Boing
…
4 Likes
He is indeed ridiculously talented, as are the rest of the band.
As with a lot of these virtuoso players however, I can appreciate the technical expertise, but it’s not the best music. I’ll admit, Polyphia are a lot easier to listen to than someone like Periphery, but a lot of it still strikes me as being quite masturbatory.
I think these guys are best when harnessed and contributing to other people’s music, like Vai and Whitesnake / David Lee Roth / Zappa.
Left to their own devices, they have a tendency to widdle everywhere.
Cory Wong’s another contemporary virtuoso player I massively admire, but his approach is very supportive of the other musicians he plays with. He’s very conscious that he’s there to provide rhythmic texture and that the overall composition is more important than any individual musician’s performance, and the music he makes shines as a result.
7 Likes
Said no one except violent English lads right up until the moment Jimi arrived in the UK.
3 Likes
Hendrix, Clapton, Neck Tats?
Great guitarist, but he is wildly off on the intonation part. The strat just needs to be set-up and have it’s intonation adjusted. It has very little to do with it being a poorly made instrument. Additionally, I think he has over-shot the mark on what you should pay for an intermediate and professional instrument by a good bit.
2 Likes
The neck tattoo is distracting, but I like the way it goes with his sweater.
What I’ve heard of his band’s music is technically challenging but kind of dull, though.
3 Likes
yep
When asked about the future of guitar music, Henson says, “I see it being less guitar-centered, and more musical. Because I hope that guitar music dies. I want it to die a painful death, because so much of it is just bullshit.
1 Like
Who cares. It’s someone else’s choice, their body, their sense of aesthetics. I thought we left all this fingerwagging about tats and body mods back in the early aughts, but apparently some are still carrying that torch, for some reason… 
But here is a video by the band…
And some background (the guy on this video is the most so-cal guy ever…)
Also… they’re Christian? 
7 Likes
Since when does Clapton get to be mentioned in the same sentence as Neck Tats? Talk about over-rated.
8 Likes
Also, he’s a racist asshole, to boot. And he’s not even that good!
That kid seems pretty amazing, though! And I think i was wrong about them being Christian? I don’t know… kids and their rock-n-roll… and neck tats! 
6 Likes
Point taken about his tattoo.
The Christian rock thing is a joke. Playing God is a perfect example of why I’m not a fan: technically challenging as hell but also kind of boring.
1 Like
Yeah, I figured it out after a minute or so of googling about!
Now that is a fair enough criticism!
6 Likes
Check out the video of Moyun covering Playing God on the guzheng. Stunning!
I just discovered Tim the other day. I’m impressed! YT has been showing me some amazing guitarists. Y’all seen Haruka Noma? Taz Niederauer? Pretty great.
2 Likes
I’m sure, that like high church Prog back in 70s, there are people can really sink in to the complexity of music; but, I guess, I’m not the target audience 
Still I think it is great that there are so many styles of music splintering and mixing and mutating.
7 Likes
Steve Winwood carried his ass for a couple of decades.
8 Likes
5 Likes
“Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton battled for the belt”
Any assessment of that era that doesn’t include Jeff Beck has a credibility problem right from the start, IMO.
8 Likes
Just watched the ‘Playing God’ video, very impressive playing from all of the band, some nifty jazz drumming, and it reminds me very much of Rodrigo y Gabriela. I can very much appreciate their style of virtuoso guitar playing, whereas the hair-metal fret-wank playing from a couple of decades ago leaves me utterly cold.
2 Likes
Tim Henson knows his way around the guitar quite well with out doubt. Maybe it’s just the way his hair is styled but he doesn’t look much past a high school age kid. How old is he and when did he start playing/ He mentions his trouble hearing the bass at 10 but got by 11. Was he already playing? In the other photo he does look some older but just curious. He seems to be dedicated to playing even if he wants the instrument dead.
1 Like
Oh, I think it’s probably less his age, and more our age…
11 Likes
